


Absolutely No Chocolate Bunnies

by NotOfImport



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Domestic Avengers, Easter, Easter Egg Hunt, First Kiss, Fluff, Living Together, M/M, Napping, Religion, Religious Content, Religious Imagery & Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-29 13:39:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6377842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotOfImport/pseuds/NotOfImport
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An Easter fic in which Steve just wants to go to church, while Bucky really doesn't want to face the thought. And after being dragged to an Egg Hunt by the Avengers, the two of them find themselves together in a church pew, Bucky finally reaching all the courage he needs through a simple prayer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Absolutely No Chocolate Bunnies

Steve just wanted to go to church. Being an Irish Catholic, filled with a God-given guilt, he figured that after seventy years he should at least stop in for the Easter service. 

Bucky, on the other hand, couldn’t care less. It’s not that he didn’t believe in God, he just never believed in the formalities of organized religion. Mass, communion, reconciliation, he didn’t see a point. He had found himself praying during the war, praying in the HYDRA facility, praying every morning that he found himself lucky enough to wake up knowing Steve was in the next room. 

And the rest of the Avengers, well, they were more egg hunts and chocolate bunnies. 

Steve pulled himself out of bed, slumping over to Bucky’s room and knocking on the door, eyes still full of sleep. Bucky opened one eye, groaning because he just knew Steve was planning to drag him to the church. He leaned up on his elbow, rubbing his eyes and yawning. 

“Happy Easter, Buck. Come on, service starts in an hour and I wanna be out the door before-” 

He was cut off by the sound of their apartment door being knocked open, “Happy Easter, grandpas!” Tony’s voice filled the apartment, and Clint’s laughter followed. 

“Before that happened.” Steve pressed his fingers against his temple, rubbing to soothe the headache that was already forming. 

“Oh thank God.” Bucky sighed out, letting himself fall back on the pillow. He did want to be there for Steve, but sitting through the extended service would be killer.

The Avengers appeared in Bucky’s doorway behind Steve, most of them waving, others looking just as tired as Steve and Bucky were.

“There’s a, uh, Easter Egg Hunt in an hour in Central Park. Tony thinks the ‘Avengers’ should make an appearance.” Bruce’s voice popped through the gaggle of heroes, and Steve turned around, arms crossed over his bare chest, to meet Bruce’s eyes. 

Natasha poked Steve on his upper arm, dark circles around her eyes but a close lipped smile on her face, “And what would it be without our favorite senior citizens?” 

A smile crossed Steve’s lips, and he looked back at Bucky, who was simply nodding in agreement. 

“Well- I..wanted to go to Mass.” Steve looked at all of them, making eye contact with Wanda when her lips fell open. 

“Go to evening Mass.” She shrugged, taking a step forward into the room to separate herself from the crowded doorway. 

“I suppose we could? Buck?” Steve looked to Bucky, who was finally getting out of bed. He threw up his hands, letting them fall back down and hit his thighs. 

“Sure, okay. But you guys gotta leave, if you hadn’t noticed, we aren’t dressed.” He placed his hands on his hips, raising an eyebrow and examining their reactions. 

“Oh, we noticed.” Sam’s voice appeared somewhere in there, and it brought out laughter from the rest of the squad, Steve shaking his head as he laughed. 

“We’ll leave you be, meet us at the park fifteen minutes to noon.” Thor’s voice bellowed through the group, and he was the first to turn and make his way to the front door, with everyone else following quickly behind. 

\--

Thirty minutes later, Steve was standing beside Bucky in their adjoining bathroom, brushing his teeth while Bucky combed out his hair. 

“Stop being so grumpy, you’ll get your time in the church. I mean, we will.” Bucky placed his brush down and adjusted his collar, pulling at his tie to loosen it. 

“I know, but I mean. I never liked this commercialization of Easter. You know I’m not hyper religious but, all the chocolate and eggs really just...I don’t know, takes away from Him?” Steve rinsed off his brush, placed it next to the sink and met Bucky’s eyes through the mirror. 

“You mean God?” He watched as Steve nodded, “I know, I know. I’m not even into the idea of Mass, but, I do like having a nice meal and celebrating the resurrection.” 

Bucky leaned forward on the sink, taking a deep breath, “Well, hey, okay, what if...after the evening service, you and I come back here and have a fancy dinner. Just the two of us, no chocolate bunnies or anything.” He offered a smile, elbowing Steve in the shoulder to get a smile out of him. 

And Steve did smile, and they both found themselves thanking God that they had been blessed with such a wonderful best friend. 

“Yeah, okay. Thanks, Bucky.” Steve turned, and Bucky matched him. They both stood there for a moment before Bucky finally stepped forward and pulled Steve into a hug. He felt Steve bury himself into Bucky’s neck, sighing and smiling against his skin.

Bucky rubbed Steve’s back, “Sure, Steve.” He patted Steve’s back, “C’mon, we gotta go.” 

Steve pulled away, hands resting on Bucky’s elbows and Bucky’s hands resting on Steve’s hips as they smiled at each other. 

A phone beeped in the other room, calling them back to real life. 

“Not mine.” Bucky pulled his phone out of his pocket, showing a blank screen. Steve groaned, turning and walking into his bedroom, Bucky following behind. 

It was a text from Tony: 

_hurry up! kids are freaking out, a lot asking where u are_

Steve sighed, typing a response: 

_heading out the door, be there in 5_

It beeped a second later, simply a string of angry emojis from Tony and the two of them laughed before quickly making their way outside. 

\--

Ten minutes later, they were standing in the park, crowded by kids and happily signing easter baskets. 

Steve stood next to Bucky, watching him interact with the kids, a bright smile on his face as he took pictures and signed things. 

“You sure are loving this.” Steve kneeled down to sign a little girl’s cast, looking quickly up to Bucky. He gave her a high five, and she waved at him as she ran back to her mother. 

“Hey, I love kids.” He kneeled down to match Steve, a long haired little boy running up to him and waving a tiny plush figurine of Bucky. “Wow! That’s so cool! Can I see?” The boy nodded, handing Bucky the figurine and turning back to look at his mother, a pleasant smile on her face. 

“He takes that thing everywhere.” Bucky looked up at the woman, “I didn’t even know they sold these.” He played with the little metal arm, making it wave at the boy. 

“Oh, they don’t. I made it for him.” She adjusted the bag on her arm, smiling at Bucky and her son. 

“ _That is amazing._ ” He handed the plush toy back to the small child, who wiggled out of his mother’s hand and leapt forward into Bucky’s arms. Bucky’s eyes widened, almost losing his balance with the child in his arms. He lifted him up, standing to face the mom. The boy held tight to the toy with one hand, the other playing with Bucky’s soft hair. 

Steve watched Bucky talk to the woman, a smile crossing his face as he tried his best to chat with the kids. He never was that great with kids, but they seemed too excited to care. 

A voice in the center of the park called their attention, and Tony stood up there with a small child in his arms, a woman standing next to him who looked absolutely overjoyed. 

“Wow, well, thank you all for coming to the annual egg hunt. And special thanks to our Avengers for making a surprise appearance! If all the kids could come up near the stage, we’ll start our countdown with the help of Iron Man.” Tony looked at the kid, whispering something before they both waved to the crowd. 

All the kids rushed to the front, and Steve watched as Bucky set the small boy down, and he ran off after the other kids. The woman stood next to him still, crossing her arms and saying something inaudible to Bucky. 

Steve turned and walked towards them, the woman’s eyes catching sight of him before Bucky. “Looks like you made a new friend.” Steve called out, drawing Bucky’s attention with a smile. 

“Yeah, yeah. That was James, cute kid right?” Bucky raised an eyebrow at Steve, a smirk on his face. 

“James, huh? What luck.” Steve let out a laugh, Bucky and the woman laughing right alongside him. Steve reached a hand forward to shake the woman’s hand. “I’m-” He started to introduce himself. 

She laughed, “I know who you are, I’m Connie.” Steve nodded, withdrawing his hand with a small smile. 

“Oh, right. Well, nice to meet you, Connie.” Steve stepped back next to Bucky, turning his attention to where the kids were gathered. They all crowded around the small stage that Tony was standing on, watching as he laughed and smiled with the child that was in his arms. Steve’s eyes searched for the rest of the group, finding them interspersed through the parents and children who were too shy to leave their parents’ hands. 

“Alright, ready?” The woman on the stage spoke through the microphone, looking over to Tony, who leaned forward into his own microphone. “Three, two, one, go!” They spoke at the same time, a tiny voice also appearing between them, the voice of the child in Tony’s arms. 

All the kids ran through the park, baskets in hand and grabbing the eggs that lay between the green grass. Steve, Bucky, and Connie watched for a few minutes, Steve yawning and leaning an arm on Bucky. 

Bucky looked at him, “You want to go home? Take a nap before the service?” He felt Steve lean further against him, blinking his eyes as the kids ran around them and through them. Steve just nodded, focusing on Tony, who was walking up to them. 

“Pretty fun isn’t it?” He stood before the three of them, a bright sticker depicting a chicken popping out of a decorated egg was stuck to his shirt. He reached his hand out to Connie, “Hi, Tony Stark. Nice to meet you.” 

She took his hand, smiling at him, “Connie, nice to meet you too.” Her voice was giddy, a blush creeping on her cheeks. 

“It is fun, Tony, but we’re getting outta here. We’ve got a long Mass in three hours, and I think Steve needs a nap.” Bucky spoke to Tony, watching as his face fell. 

“Oh, come on! Stay!” His hands flew around, expressing his distress. 

“Hey, we’re almost 100 leave us alone.” Steve shifted his weight between feet, “Sorry, Tony. Thanks for the invite, but we gotta go.” 

“Alright well, enjoy church. I’ll drop off some candy while you two are snoozing away, won’t even know I was there. Happy Easter!” Tony waved and turned, walking over to where Natasha and Clint were standing together. 

“It was really nice to meet you, Connie. Tell James that I said bye.” Bucky smiled at her, and she pulled a card out of her bag. 

“Well, here.” Bucky looked at the card, printed in neat black letters was her name and number. “Maybe we can get together sometime.” She was smiling, her eyes a bright blue. 

“Oh, thank you, Happy Easter.” He placed the card in his breast pocket, waving at her before turning and walking towards the sidewalk. 

“Nice to meet you.” Steve smiled at her, waving before following Bucky to the street. 

“So, are you gonna call her?” Bucky turned his head at Steve’s voice, watching as he caught up. 

“I don’t think so, she was really nice but, I’m just not ready.” He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

Steve hailed a cab, opening the door for Bucky before ducking in himself, “Yeah, I get it.” 

He shut the cab door, leaning his head against the door. 

Bucky found himself praying again, for nothing that he could put words to. 

\--

Bucky opened the door to their apartment, Steve resting his head on Bucky’s shoulder, already falling asleep. 

“Alright, go on take a nap. I probably should too.” Bucky kicked the door shut with his foot, looking down at Steve’s head still resting on his shoulder. 

“Your bed is softer, can I just sleep there?” He grumbled out, looking up to Bucky and pouting. 

Bucky sighed, a smile crossing his face, “Sure, come on.” They walked together to Bucky’s room, and Steve slumped around the bed to the untouched side, kicking his shoes off and plopping down onto the soft mattress. 

He shoved the covers down, slipping his legs under them and pulling them all the way back up to his chin. Bucky laughed, untying his shoes and placing them neatly next to the bed. He lifted up the covers, and Steve grumbled. 

Bucky shushed him, lying down on the mattress and turning on his side and facing Steve. 

“Do you have an alarm set?” Bucky’s voice was soft, quiet, and he kept his gaze on Steve, who grumbled again and turned to face Bucky. 

“No, I’m asleep.” His eyes were closed, but a smile crossed his face. Bucky shook his head, a sigh falling out between his lips. “Alright, I’ll do it I guess.” 

He pulled his phone out from his back pocket, pressing some buttons as he listened to Steve snoring softly, already knocked out but content. Bucky placed the phone behind him on the nightstand, one hand clutching the blanket and the other casually outstretched towards Steve. “Goodnight, Steve. See you in a few hours.” 

Bucky closed his eyes, hearing a mumbled, “Goodnight, Buck.” before he drifted off to sleep. 

And in his dreams he was sitting alone in a church pew, the rest of the church decrepit and falling apart. The statue of Jesus on the cross was pristine, hung atop a molding, grey wall. Bucky didn’t know what he was praying for, but he felt desperation. When he opened his eyes, he saw his clasped hands, and he looked up to see the statue of Jesus also falling apart. It fell to the floor with a crash and Bucky woke up in his bed with a gasp, wide eyes falling on Steve’s face, peaceful and resting on Bucky’s arm. 

Bucky breathed heavily, a tight knot in his chest as his eyes fell on the soft sunset peeking through their windows. 

“Steve…” Bucky whispered, focusing on the way Steve was curled into him. He gingerly reached his free arm over Steve, setting it atop the blanket and scooting closer to Steve. He closed his eyes once again, trying to fall asleep again. Steve sighed and moved closer to Bucky, and once again Bucky was sound asleep. 

And when they both awoke later to the sound of Bucky’s phone, Steve still curled into Bucky and Bucky’s arm secured around Steve. 

Steve shifted, moving away from Bucky, his tired eyes meeting Bucky’s. “Oh, I-” He looked away, “Sorry.” 

Bucky watched Steve draw away from him and sit up in the bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. The noise of his alarm filled his ears, and he groaned, turning to shut it off. 

He got up, sitting on the edge of the bed and yawning, feeling Steve’s weight lift off the bed. Bucky watched Steve walk around the bed and into the bathroom. The water was running a second later, and Bucky pushed himself off the bed to see what Steve was up to. 

He was wiping his face off with a towel when Bucky walked in, “Good nap.” Bucky met Steve’s eyes in the mirror before he leaned down and splashed some water on his face, reaching blindly for his own towel to dry the water off. 

“It really was, I needed that.” Steve walked behind Bucky out of the bathroom to grab his shoes, and Bucky strolled out of the bathroom to do the same. 

“So what do you want to do for dinner tonight?” Bucky sat down next to Steve on the bed, pulling on his shoes and brushing down his bottoms. He looked at Steve, who was still tying up his shoes. 

“Let’s just get some takeout, that’s nice, right?” He stood up, turning to face Bucky and still yawning. 

“I’m good with anything, if you think it’s nice, then sure it is.” Bucky laughed and stood to match Steve. “Come on, let’s go to church.” He tugged at Steve’s sleeve before strolling towards the front door. His eyes fell on a bag of candy sitting on the front desk, "Looks like Tony wasn't lying about bringing us candy. Nice." He popped a piece of chocolate in his mouth before finally leaving the apartment, with Steve close behind and chewing on a strawberry piece of gum. 

\-- 

The two of them were sat in the back of a beautiful church fifteen minutes later, listening to the priest speak about what a holy day they’d been blessed with. Bucky watched Steve listen to the preacher, and he gave small nods every few seconds, eyes fixed on the service. 

The service lasted two hours, and Bucky was ready to go as soon as the ending prayer was concluded, but Steve grabbed him by the sleeve, “Can we stay, please? Just for a little bit.” Steve stared up at him, eyebrows raised and a solemn smile clouding Bucky’s thoughts. 

He sat back down in the pew next to Steve, “Sure.” He heard people filing out behind them, small whispers about whether Steve and Bucky were actually themselves. The two of them sat there waiting for the church to empty, letting the quiet settle in the golden lighted church. 

Steve leaned forward, pulling down the knee rests and kneeling onto the soft fabric. Bucky followed his actions, but decided on his own to formally pray. He clasped his hands and closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against his intertwined fingers. Bucky was sure Steve had done the same, but this moment was for him, and he’d never been good at long, formal prayers, but for some reason the thoughts just fell out. 

_I don’t know if there’s a right way to start a prayer, so, I’m sorry if there’s something I’m missing. I don’t like asking for help, I’ve barely been able to allow Steve to care for me so much in these past years. I was lost for so long, but I can only assume it was your doing that I found myself again. And, thank you, for that._

_But I need help now. I need courage. I know I have it in battle, I know I have it around evil and murder. And I can’t say it, I can’t say it out loud yet. But if there’s one thing I’d learned, it’s that you know anyway. You knew before I did. And I need your guidance in doing something about it. I love him. I can’t believe I said it._

_I’ve felt like that was a sin for a long time, distancing myself from you so I could be myself. But if there’s something I know now, it’s that you don’t care. Because it’s love, it’s love and that’s what you are. And I love him. For, as long as I’ve known him. And I really have a chance to make something of it._

_If you could give me the least bit of guidance, I would be forever grateful to you. I would try more, to pray, to be a good person, anything. Thank you for listening, thank you for bringing him back to me, thank you for your guidance._

_Amen._

Bucky opened his eyes and lifted his head, gaze falling on the simple statue of Jesus on the cross in the front of the church. Candles lit below him, illuminating the room with a glow that opposed the darkness Bucky had seen while praying. 

He turned to look at Steve, noticing his lips moving silently, mouthing words that Bucky couldn’t pick up. Seconds later his eyes were opened and he’d also caught sight of the statue. He sighed, turning to meet Bucky’s gaze with a smile. 

“You ready to go?” He breathed out, voice echoing quietly in the wide church. 

Bucky nodded, standing up and reaching a hand down for Steve to take. He watched as Steve’s smooth hand slipped into his own, gripping on tight and pulling himself up. He pushed the knee rest up with his foot and followed Bucky out of the pew. 

“Oh man, I am hungry.” Steve put a hand on his stomach, hearing it grumble. 

Bucky laughed, “Me too, let’s grab some Chinese and go home.” He hailed a taxi, opening the door for Steve before ducking inside. 

They drove to the nearest Chinese food place, and Steve ran out to order food. Bucky sat in the cab, leaning against the door and making eye contact with the driver through the rearview mirror. 

“Happy Easter.” Bucky smiled at the man, and watched him smile back. 

“Happy Easter.” The driver nodded at him, and Bucky slumped down further in his seat, waiting for Steve to come back with the food. 

And he was back after what felt like a lifetime, a great smile on his face and a large bag of takeout containers in his hands. “It was on the house!” Steve ducked into the cab, setting the food down in the middle seat and holding it tight, “I guess there are perks to being cap.” He laughed, and Bucky’s eyes fell upon the way his lips moved as he laughed, partially distracted by the smell of the food filling the small car. 

“Damn it, that smells amazing.” Bucky leaned towards the food, inhaling the delicious smell and falling back against the leather seats. 

“Mhm.” Steve look at Bucky, a smile stuck on his face as he stared at him. 

They both sat there, happy and hungry as the cab pulled up to the Stark tower. 

“Thank you! Happy Easter!” Steve waved at the taxi driver as he drove off, before he and Bucky rushed into the building, into their apartment. 

“I’ll get plates, You throw on a movie.” Bucky walked into the kitchen as Steve strolled over to the living room, setting the bag of food down on the coffee table and turning on the TV. Bucky stood in the kitchen, pulling out two large plates and forks. He stood there, listening to the plastic bag ruffle and Steve pull out container after container. 

He felt his heart beating in his chest, and he ran a hand through his hair, tugging on it slightly as he felt his stomach churn and breath shorten. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and looking up at the ceiling, _is this courage?_

Bucky felt his heart slow after the informal prayer, breath calming and a wave of content falling over him just as he saw Steve walking into the kitchen. 

“Hey, what’s taking so long?” Steve had a sweet smile on his face as he walked closer to Bucky, placing a hand on the counter and leaning against it. 

“I-” Bucky turned to face him, biting his nails as a deep, shuddering breath moved through him. 

The space between them was small, and Bucky’s eyes searched Steve’s face for a second before taking the leap. 

He closed the space between them, pressing his lips against Steve. He felt Steve kissing back, felt Steve’s warm hand press against the back of his neck, holding onto Bucky’s long hair. They moved closer together, dress shirts pressing together, cold fabric against cold fabric. 

Bucky kissed Steve again, and again, and again until they were both standing there in the kitchen with the smell of Chinese food filling the rooms and their breath broken and shaky. 

Steve pulled back slightly, a miniscule space between their lips. Bucky could feel Steve’s hot breath against his lips. And they stood there, Bucky’s arms wrapped around Steve’s back, one of Steve’s hands still resting against the counter, the other holding Bucky’s neck. 

“Like I said, what was taking you so long?” Steve pressed a small, soft kiss to Bucky’s lips. 

Bucky shook his head, resting his forehead against Steve’s, “I guess I just needed courage.” He pulled away from Steve, tip toeing himself up to give Steve a kiss on the forehead and looking once again to the ceiling. 

_Thank you._

He felt another wave of calm wash over him, and swore he could almost, almost hear a voice saying, _you’re welcome._

Maybe he wasn’t religious, but there was no doubt in his mind that there was someone up there looking out for him. 

And as he kissed Steve again, he couldn’t be more grateful for the way things were. 

It really was a blessing.


End file.
